City boss Paul Lambert has no real plans to raid the loan market, despite Matthew Gill departing down the A47 this week.
The 29-year-old has signed a one-month loan deal at Peterborough but has been in and around the Canary squad this season, coming off the bench last weekend at Preston.
Despite his City release, however, which Lambert admitted was a tough call to make, the Norwich chief is happy with the size of the squad, despite losing three midfield players to loan moves in 2010/11.
“Yes we are fine,” said the Scot, speaking to the press at this morning’s pre-match Colney press conference.
“Tom [Adeyemi] is still young so you can’t really class him as being a first-team regular. That is why I let him go because it will do him the world of good to get games and play mens football.
“Gilly and Owain [Tudur Jones – who is on loan at Yeovil] are a bit different. I was in two minds as to whether I should let Gilly out to be honest with you – he is great about the place and a terrific pro. I had to look at his career as well but it is only for the month; he will be back.”
City enter a period of two home games in four days tomorrow, with Hull first up at Carrow Road before Leicester come to town on Tuesday night.
And the Canaries seem to be in a much happier place than tomorrow’s opponents right now, despite David McNally admitting that the club nearly entered administration when speaking at last night’s NCISA forum.
A year ago, Hull were in the top flight while City were stuck down in the depths of League One. But with the Tigers facing financial problems as well as what looks to be a serious relegation hangover, fourth placed Norwich are probably favourites to win tomorrow’s encounter.
A year is a long, long time in football, as Lambert acknowledged.
“We had it last season,” he continued. “This club was on its knees when we came in so you could say the same about Norwich last season.
“But what the players have done, with the fans brought into that as well, has been terrific. But Hull have not started badly – the new manager [Nigel Pearson] has done well before and it will be a really tough game for us.
“If we play like we have been we are in with a chance. We are up against two great clubs in the next week who have money behind them.
“But what we have is the crowd turning up and getting right behind us. If anybody is going to beat us they are going to have to play really well.”
Lambert went on to admit that skipper Grant Holt was more like his old self at Preston last weekend, after a summer spent on the treatment table. His second-half goal was enough to win the Deepdale contest and a heart-to-heart between the pair could well have done the trick.
“I had a chat with Grant in the week and I thought he was back to his best on Saturday. I thought he was brilliant – he was back to what he did last year.”
“The ankle thing and missing some pre-season training did not help I’m sure. But his level of consistency has been fantastic since we have been here for the past year.
“Everyone is entitled to have a bad few games here and there, but what he has done for me has been fantastic and he was outstanding on Saturday.”
In team news, there was nothing major to report, with an unchanged line-up the likely scenario for tomorrow’s Tigers encounter. Steven Smith and Zak Whitbread continue to train, but both are not yet ready for a first-team return.
Leave a Reply